The TDF 2015 is set to be won and lost in the next four stages of the race on the mountains

July 22, 2015 12:08 IST

Britain's Chris Froome looks set to bag the yellow jersey following the end of the Tour de France 2015, as the 2013 TDF Champion still leads by a margin of as much as 3 minutes and 10 seconds in the General Classification tally.

And there are just five stages to go for the race this year.

The riders managed to get a much-needed rest day on Tuesday, and they now look forward to starting their campaign again in the mountains in the 161km Stage 17 of the race from Digne-les-Bains to the finishing climb of Pra Loup in the Alps.

Team Sky may be heavily banking on Froome to make them proud this year, but the continued allegations of doping against Froome has made them uneasy. Accusations against the Briton using performance-enhancing drugs heavily surfaced ever since Froome dominated Stage 10 of the race this year at La Pierre-Saint-Martin.

In order to end the doping speculation, Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford had to release some of the performance data of Froome.

"We thought we'd give people concrete numbers and facts to be able to judge for themselves," said Brailsford to the BBC.

The controversy has affected the 30-year-old rider as well, and he has mentioned that his team are definitely trying to be more open and transparent to clear any uncertainty. Froome is however willing to look ahead to his racing and finish the tour on a high note.

"I'm not sure if numbers are going to fix everything," said Froome. "Certainly I feel as a team and myself, we're definitely trying to be as open and transparent as possible.

"We've been asked more questions than any other team. I've been asked more questions than any other general classification contender. I'd like to think we're answering those questions.

"I really am focused on the racing side of things. I've worked too long to let anything throw me off. That's all just happening on the side," the Briton added.

All eyes now shift to stage 17, and it is to be seen if the riders can manage to get back to maintaining their consistency following the rest day.

The major classified climbs of the stage include the Col de Leques, Col de Toutes de Aures, Col de la Colle-Saint-Michel, and Col d'Allos.

The riders go above 2000 metres in altitude today, and it is expected that the climb to the Col d'Allos will be very tough. The long descent from the summit and the final climb to Pra-Loup is also seen as one of the major areas where the stage can be won or lost.

WHERE TO WATCH LIVE

In India, the Tour de France Stage 13 can be watched live on Ten Sports (6:50pm IST), with the option of live streaming on tensports.com

Viewers in the UK can catch it on Eurosport and ITV4, with programmes starting at 1:30pm BST.

Highlights: Eurosport2 from 6pm to 7pm and from 9pm to 10:30pm; ITV4 from 7pm to 8pm;S4C from 10pm.